Nashville, Tennessee based Judah First came together in the summer of 2000 as a result of a vision that developed between four musicians - vocalist James Aaron, guitarist Philip Mead, bassist Keyth Harkleroad and drummer Chris Rosenstone - to create "hypnotically heavy and stage driven hard rock".

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A group drawing its name from Judges 20:18, Judah First independently released its full length debut, The Vision Road, in May of 2003 prior to spending the next year and a half on the road.
The band followed up in 2005 with its sophomore outing Devil's Dice.
Another independent release, Devil's Dice serves to showcase Judah First's heavy but catchy brand of metal and hard rock in no uncertain terms.
And catchy would be the best way to describe the albums five opening tracks, "Speak To Me", "Identify", "Devil's Dice", "Listen" and "Own".
Standing out with their huge chorus hooks and notable melodies, either of the five in question would sound right at home on FM radio- if it happened to be open to music of this variety.
The four that follow might not be quite as catchy but are still very good: "Perfect Sky", "X-Rated Eyes" and "Questions" can best be described as driving hard rock (this is where the band puts the heavy aspect to its sound on display) while "She'll Never Tell" heads in a more up-tempo direction.

Judah First is fronted by James Aaron, a mostly mid-octave vocalist with a raspy and gritty style that stands out best on "Devil's Dice" and "Questions".